Representations and complaints procedures
Local authorities and voluntary organisations who are providing accommodation for children are required to have a procedure for considering representations, including complaints, from children, young people and other people under the Children Act 1989.
Effective complaints procedures can help the whole local authority improve the delivery of children's services by highlighting where change is needed. It is important that issues raised by children and young people about their care lead to better design of services.
Ministers have issued regulations for local authorities and voluntary organisations providing accommodation, which are set out in The Children Act 1989 Representations Procedure (England) Regulations 2006. These come into force on 1 September 2006.
The regulations impose time-limits on making complaints, new timescales for handling stages of the process, and greater independence at the final review panel stage.
Click to view The Children Act 1989 Representations Procedure (England) Regulations 2006(statutory instrument 2006/1738).
We have now published guidance to accompany the regulations which you can download below.
This page was last updated on 03 August 2006
